Brett Favre still present at Packers training camp even if he's not there yet

By OHM YOUNGMISUK

|DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER|

Jul 28, 2008 | 9:39 PM

Even with Brett Favre absent from Packers training camp, the team is still consumed by his shadow. (Squire/Getty)

GREEN BAY - Brett Favre was nowhere to be found. Above his old locker, there was a generic "Packers" nameplate.

And yet no matter how hard they tried to paint a united front behind Aaron Rodgers, the Packers couldn't escape Favre's enormous shadow Monday.

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The Packers' first day of training camp was dominated by Favre's standoff with the team as the national media descended on Green Bay. As of late Monday afternoon, the quarterback had not faxed his letter of reinstatement, according to the NFL, as he continues to give the Packers time to come up with a resolution, most likely a trade.

Favre told ESPN and SI.com on Sunday that he would hold off filing for reinstatement and showing up at camp for a couple of days at the request of GM Ted Thompson. A trade appears to be the only logical solution considering Thompson said he will not release the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Thompson also reiterated that Favre will not be allowed to compete for his old job despite the fact that Rodgers has never started a game in his three years and saw meaningful action in just one game last year, at Dallas.

However, Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy say they are prepared if Favre joins the club this week as Rodgers' backup - a scenario the Packers don't want to see happen.

"We're still working through where we are," said Thompson, who is also dealing with running back Ryan Grant's holdout over a new contract. "There have been no resolutions, no updates. There are a lot of different scenarios and Brett and I talked about that.

"That's one scenario, where he comes back. Does that mean he comes back in a different role or something like that? That would just be determined as we go forward. We have started down this path and it doesn't make sense for us to turn around and go back now."

The man caught in the middle of this ugly breakup is Rodgers, who spent the entire offseason preparing to take over for the franchise's greatest quarterback, only to find himself caught in the NFL's biggest summer controversy.

"I feel like this is really between Brett and the organization and I just try to stay focused on the things that I can control," Rodgers said. "My psyche is fine."

Favre told ESPN he asked Thompson if he could compete for the starting job, knowing that he can beat out Rodgers, only to be told that was not an option.

"I put a lot of hard work in the last few offseasons," said Rodgers, who impressed in his first practice. "I've waited in the wings. I've played well in one game. ... He retired in March and they said I'm the starting quarterback and that is the direction we are going on."

Should Favre file for reinstatement, the league has up to 24 hours to approve it and then the Packers have 24 more hours to place him on the active roster.

Thompson, who denied that he told Favre he would be fired if the quarterback reported to camp on Sunday as Favre told ESPN, said he has had some "kicking of the tires-type conversations" with other teams. The Jets and Buccaneers reportedly have been given permission to talk to Favre.